HARDI Joins Coalition Effort to Support Affordability and Certainty for Members

HARDI recently joined a broad coalition of industry and stakeholder organizations in submitting comments to the U.S. Department of Energy regarding upcoming compliance deadlines for certain commercial water heating equipment and consumer furnace efficiency standards.

What's at Stake?

In late April 2026, the Department of Energy began seeking public comment on whether it should consider extending the compliance dates for energy efficiency standards for residential propane and natural gas furnaces and commercial water heaters. Currently, the compliance date for the commercial water heater rule is October 6, 2026, and the compliance date for the consumer furnace rule is December 18, 2028.

These rules, if permitted to take effect, would prohibit the manufacture and sale of certain natural gas and propane appliances that have been on the market for decades and are currently installed in millions of homes and businesses across the country. Manufacturers, contractors, wholesalers, distributors, and homebuilders alike would be left in limbo while a legal challenge to the rules remains pending before the Supreme Court.

What the Coalition Is Asking For

Alongside more than 30 organizations, including fellow industry associations, homebuilder groups, and energy stakeholders, HARDI called on DOE to:

• Extend both compliance deadlines to January 1, 2030, providing regulatory certainty while judicial and regulatory processes play out

• Initiate new rulemakings to correct what DOE itself has acknowledged are factual and legal flaws in the existing rules

• Establish separate product classes so that both condensing and non-condensing appliances remain available to consumers

By joining this coalition effort, HARDI is helping elevate the concerns of wholesale distributors and the broader HVACR industry. The letter emphasizes the importance of preserving consumer choice, supporting affordability, and giving businesses the regulatory certainty they need to plan responsibly.

HARDI will continue to monitor DOE activity and engage where federal policy decisions have significant implications for members and the customers they serve.

Read the full text of the coalition letter here.

Questions?

If you have questions, please reach out to Alex Ayers.

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